“Nestled in the arms of the endless skies, I have loved you since time began. Through our turbulence and calm, illumination and deepest shadow, unity and separation, always you are my companion, my station. Blessed by earth, kissed by sky, and caressed by moon, there is no greater revelry nor joy in our daily swoon, than holding hands when we’re together” ~ Jack Mountain

Monument Valley as it is known to the Navajo is, Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, meaning valley of the rocks. It is truly one of the most indelible and iconic symbols representing the West, in large part to the many movies director John Ford filmed in the area. Perhaps the most iconic and recognizably indelible symbol of the entire area is shown here, "The Mittens", as they keep each other company throughout time.

While we all have seen The Monument Valley Mittens infinite times from same old common views, in my continued effort to put my unique spin on the icons of the West, to stand alone from the rest of crowd, I hope you find this perspective uncommonly unique. I chose a perspective from outside of the park, outside of the state even! From 8 miles away using big glass, where I could isolate The Mittens away from the rest of the Valley, making them seem like two monoliths alone and together, standing straight out of the desert against a massive sky. To achieve that big sky feel, I broke one of the most cardinal compositional rules in photography, the rule of thirds, in a couple of different ways.